Microsoft recently released Kinetic (code name: Project Natal), which allows Xbox users to use their entire body as a game controller. To illustrate what I am talking about see the video below. How we play games has now been redefined.
Business Review:
Xbox in general was a great move on Microsoft's part. They own majority of the gaming contracts for computer games, so why not make a game console out of it. With Kinectthough they have changed the standard of how people play games, which makes other game consoles, such as PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii look ancient. If other game consoles cannot come out with this interactive gaming interface by Christmas, Microsoft will dominate gaming. This also helps Microsoft improve their reputation as a innovation company washing away the fact that they stole Apple's ideas in the past. Steve Jobs always makes fun of Microsoft as lacking innovation and style. I think that ends today with the release of Kinect.
Future Speculation:
As we all know Microsoft is also a software company that makes the operating system that most of us use. With Kinnect, I bet they are also planning to implement a similar functionality utilizing the computer's webcam for a gesture interface, so I think they will also dominate the operating system market in the future as well.
Apple is well aware of this and is probably trying to come out with a similar gesture interface to compete. In fact, it would also make sense for Apple to team up with Sony orNintendo to create this new interface. It would be time and cost efficient, but knowing Apple they just might do it themselves.
I guess in the future (a few years from now) be prepared for a gesture interface like what we saw in Minority Report, Star Trek, and many other sci-fi movies.
Minority Report: Hand Gesture Interface
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